Henna (mehndi)

Henna can be qused beneficially as a teatment for falling of hair and other hair problems such as dandruff, premature greying and alopecia or patchy baldness. Mustard oil boiled with henna leaves promotes healthy growth of hair. The paste of henna leaves boiled in coconut oil to get a darkish oil, can be used as a hair dye to blacken grey hair. The paste itself can be applied to the hair and washed off after a few hours to dye the grey hair.

Apart from colouring the hair, it is a very good conditioner. Chemical dyes can in fact damage the hair structure, but henna protects it. It also adds beauty, body and bounce to the hair, leaving it supple, shiny and easy to manage.

Henna is also a good cleanser and does not destroy the acidic nature of the scalp. Its paste mixed with lemon juice, egg and yoghurt, is one of the best methods of cleaning and conditioning the hair. It also promotes hair growth and a healthy scalp and acts as an anti-dandruff agent.

Rose (gulub -ke-phul)

This flower has a luxurious aroma and has been in use from ancient times. The petals of this flower are used for making rose water, which forms and ideal base for skin tonics. It helps to soften coarse skin. It is used in lotions and creams, for its soothing and gentle action.

Euphorbia (lal dudhi)

The milky juice of this plant is useful in promoting hair growth. It should be applied to the scalp for this purpose.

Fennel (saunf) : This herbs exercises a cleansing effect on the skin especially for deep-pore cleansing. It can be used beneficially in water while steaming the face. It has also been used in herbal hair rinses.

Clove (laung)

This herb has powerful antiseptic properties. It heals and soothes eruptions and rashes on the skin. It is used in medicated creams. It also helps to decrease infection in teeth and freshers the breath.

Chicory (Kasni)

Chicory has been mentioned as a special skin beautifier by the ancient herbalists. As tea made from the place blue flowers of this plant was said to give the "plainest maid a measure of loveliness by her bright shinning skin". According to a legend, chicory got this reputation because of a beautiful woman whom the sun wished to marry. But she spurned him. On her refusal, he turned her into a wild chicory plant and ensured that her fragile flowers would be forever turned towards him, whenever he was in the sky, from dawn till dusk. No one knows whether this legend arose before chicory had earned its name as a complexion improving drink, or after. But the flowers used for making a tea to drink seem to give the skin a healthy glow.

Cinnamon (dalchini)

A paste of cinnamon powder prepared with a few drops of fresh lime juice can be applied over pimples and blackheads with beneficial results. The oil extract of cinnamon can be used for massage. It soothes sunburnt skins.

Chebulic Myrobalan (harad or haritaki)

The herb is useful as a hair tonic. A paste of the fruit is boiled in coconut oil till its essence completely dissolves in the oil. This oil used regularly gives vitality to the hair. A decoction made from chebulic myrobalan is a popular hair rinse which Indian women use to blacken grey hair.

Castor (arandi)

The oil from castor seeds massaged over the body, before having a bath, is said to keep one's skin healthy and imparts sound sleep. This oil bath may be taken once a week. Applying castor oil bath may be taken once a week. Applying castor oil over the hands and feet before going to bed keeps them soft. Its regular use as a hair oil helps the growth of hair and cures dandruff. Its regular application over the eyebrows and eye-lashes keeps them trim and improves their looks.

Camomile

The herb is a versatile beauty-aid. It is familiar weed, found in many waste lands. It possesses the properties to control acne, soothe skin irritations and cleanse the skin of blemishes. A infusion of the leaves and flowers of this plant, fresh or died, can be used beneficially for these purposes.

Herbs as Beauty Aids

It is generally believed that the use of cosmetics originated in China over 4,000 years ago. A lot of general information on herbs and their uses was gathered and recorded in the forst "Herbal" by the Chinese Emperor Shen Nung, in 3000 B.C. The earliest evidence of cosmetics, however, comes from Egypt. There it was costomary to bury, along with the mummyfied bodies of pharaohs and their consorts, samples of the comforts and luxuries available to them in their earthly lifetime, for use in their after-life.

Early experiments in the field of herbal cosmetics were carried out by Galan, a Greek physician who lived in the second century A.D He discovered that vegetable oil could be mixed with water and melted beeswax, and that the resulting cream when smoothed on the skin. was cool and soothing; not only did the skin become soft but it also become supple. He said, thus, discovered what we know today as "cold cream".

much progress has been made in herbal cosmetics, since Galan's time. Today there are a wide range of natural herbs which are of great cosmetic value. They can be beneficially used as beauty aids. Some of the important herbs which can be used in this manner are described here in brief.

Curd (dahi)

Curd is considered one of the best aids to natural goods looks. It supplies the nerves and the skin with healthy ingredients and counteracts the ill effects of exposure to the scorching sun. The bacteria in curd make the skin soft and glowing. Curd mixed with orange or lemon juice is a good face cleanser. It supplies moisture to the skin and fruit juice provides the essential vitamin C. One spoonful of juice should be mixed in one cup of curd. This should be applied to the face and neck and allowed to dry for 15 minutes. It should then be wiped off with a soft tissue and washed with water. A mixture of oatmeal flour and yaghurt has been found effective in making the skin brighter and softer. This mixture should be kept on the face for 15 to 20 minutes and then washed off with warm water. For pimples, paste of curd and bengal gram flour (besan) should be applied on the face and then washed off. Curd is also considered valuable in conditioning the hair. It makes the hair soft, healthy and strong. Curd should be massaged right into the scalp and then washed off. Dandruff can be removed by massaging one's hair for half an hour with curd which been kept in the open for these days.

Curd is considered one of the best aids to natural goods looks. It supplies the nerves and the skin with healthy ingredients and counteracts the ill effects of exposure to the scorching sun. The bacteria in curd make the skin soft and glowing. Curd mixed with orange or lemon juice is a good face cleanser. It supplies moisture to the skin and fruit juice provides the essential vitamin C. One spoonful of juice should be mixed in one cup of curd. This should be applied to the face and neck and allowed to dry for 15 minutes. It should then be wiped off with a soft tissue and washed with water.

A mixture of oatmeal flour and yaghurt has been found effective in making the skin brighter and softer. This mixture should be kept on the face for 15 to 20 minutes and then washed off with warm water. For pimples, paste of curd and bengal gram flour (besan) should be applied on the face and then washed off.

Curd is also considered valuable in conditioning the hair. It makes the hair soft, healthy and strong. Curd should be massaged right into the scalp and then washed off. Dandruff can be removed by massaging one's hair for half an hour with curd which been kept in the open for these days.

Milk (dudh)

Milk is useful as a cosmetic and as a beauty aid. A fresh lime should be squeezed in a glass of boiled milk and set for 10 minutes. It should then be applied over hands, arms, face, neck and soles at night and allowed to dry. It should be washed off with warm water in the morning. Its regular use will writen the complexion and make the skin skin soft. Washing the hair with milk and egg yolk every day will promote hair growth and protect the scalp from all diseases.

Other Foods

Honey (shahad)

A mixture of honey and alcohol is believed to promote the growth of hair. It is said that Japanese geisha girls, who have luxuriant hair, mix several tablespoon of honey with alcohol, and stir them together. They massage this mixture into the scalp. allow it to remain there for two hours and then shampoo it out thoroughly. It is said that regular use of this honey-alcohol mixture stimulates the hair follicles to grow into luxuriant tresses.

Ground nut (momphali)

The oil from the ground nut can serve as a beauty aid. A teaspoon of refined groundnut oil, mixed with an equel quantity of lime juice, may be applied daily on the face before going to bed. It keeps the face fresh. Its regular use nourishes the skin and prevents acne.

Almond (badam)

The paste of almonds with milk cream and fresh rose buds paste applied daily over the face is a very effective beauty aid. It softens and bleaches the skin and nourishes it with the choicest skin food. Its regular application prevents early appearance of wrinkles, blackheads, dryness of the skin, pimples and keeps the face fresh.

Lentil (masur)

The flour of lentil mixed with milk cream can be applied with beneficial results as a bleaching cosmetic. It whitens the complexion and prevents wrinkles on the face.

Black Gram (urad dal)

Washing the hair with a paste of cooked black gram and fenugreek leaves lengthens the hair, keeps it black and cures dandruff.










Green Gram (mung)

The flour of the green gram is an execellent detergent and can be used as a substitute for soap. It removes the dirt and does not cause any skin irritation.Its application over the face bleaches the skin and gives one a good complexion. Black gram flour, mixed with green gram paste, when used for washing the hair, lengthens it and prevents dandruff.